Healthy Cooking Made Easy

Easy to make in your crock pot all day! Just have to roast the eggplant first to bring out the delicious flavors of the eggplant.Add whatever veggies you have on hand. Serve it up with whole wheat pasta..or stay all veggie and make Spaghetti Squash instead of the pasta! 🙂

1 eggplant, sliced in half. Sprinkle with sea salt and let sit on counter for 10 min. Pre heat oven to 400. Place on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 25 min. Set aside to cool.then dice it up!

2 zucchini diced

2 yellow squash dices

1 small yellow onion diced

1 small package of portabella mushrooms sliced

3 plum tomatoes diced

4 cloves of garlic diced

3 carrots peeled and a quick whirl in food processor…so its smaller than diced

1 large can of tomato sauce

1 tsp oregano

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp paprika

salt and pepper

1 tsp red pepper flakes

Set crock pot on low. Add in all vegetables. Pour sauce in pot with seasonings. Mix well. cover and cook for 6 hours on low. Serve with whole wheat pasta and Parmesan cheese

So excited about this recipe, its a bit of a challenge with the flavors Em trying out..But Im hoping for the best! I loved the Marmalade Sesame Orange Chicken I made in the crock pot, so I was trying to think what else I could do with these preserves I found. So I came across the same brand again..and it was in Apricot..For some reason BBQ short ribs came to mind, and then I thought why not glaze them in the Apricot preserves and then serve BBQ sauce on the side?! So here it is!

3 lbs of beef short ribs

2 small onions sliced thick

1 tbsp molasses

1/4 red wine vinegar

1/4 cup water

1 tbsp cornstarch ( set aside for later)

salt and pepper

Season short ribs with salt and pepper, sprinkle lightly with flour. Brown in pan on med high with 2 tbsp extra light olive oil. Place onions in the bottom of the crock pit, add molasses, red wine vinegar and 1/4 cup water. Place short ribs on top of the onions. Pour Apricot preserves all over short ribs. Cover and set on low for 6 hours.

I bought these beautiful italian Chicken Sausages with Fennel at Joesph’s Classic Market ( where I buy all my meats, fish and produce..so fresh and inexpensive) , that I also placed in a separate baking dish, pierced with a knife and baking along with the meatballs. When sausages done cooking slice into 1-2 inch pieces and throw them into the sauce.

I am “semi” baking the meatballs and chicken sausage, so that I can put them in a Slow Cooker or Crock Pot with sauce and cook on low for about 4 hours to incorporate all the flavors….

I also bought these nests of whole wheat linguine, which i will just add to boiling water later to cook the rest of the way..And of course extra Parmesan cheese.

The last of the turkey is going into the Crock Pot to make a delicious and healthy soup today! I shredded the leftover turkey meat and stuffed a leg and two wings into the pot. I added zucchini, yellow squash, celery, carrots, green beans and onions. A Can of diced tomatoes, 4 cups fat free low sodium chicken broth, 4 cups water, 1 tbsp Italian seasoning, 2 bay leafs, 1 tsp red pepper flakes,1 tsp nutmeg, salt and pepper. Later, I’ll remove the turkey bones and skin and add a cup of brown rice pasta right towards the end. Then this soup will sit over nite in fridge and be our lunch for the next couple of days at work! 🙂

After yesterdays fabulous feast, I did save the Pork bone to use in todays soup! My husband reminded me that this soup is very popular in Portugal but that they typically out in a couple Linguica or Chorizco sausage links…But that would take away from all the healthiness I try to maintain ( next time honey!)..However I think the pork loin will definatley add some flavor to this soup!

1 bag of Kale ( sauteed in pan with olive oil,onion, garlic and salt and pepper)

4 cloves of garlic diced

3 carrots peeled and diced

3 stalks of celery diced

4 cups fat free low sodium chicken broth

2 cups water

1 16 oz can white beans undrained

1 tbsp Italian Seasoning

1 can of Italian diced tomatoes un drained

1 tsp red pepper flakes

salt and pepper

2 bay leaf

After sauteeing the Kale and draining on paper towels, place in crock pot with all the other ingredients. (I’m adding in pork bone with the extra trimmings, which will fall off the bone later today when I take it out! ) If you want to add some flavor, add in brown chicken sausage you buy at your local butchers or gourmet market…Peel back the casings and crumble while adding to the pan with olive oil, browning slightly and then placing in the crock pot…

Cover and Set the crock pot on low and return in 6-8 hours to a tasty and healthy meal 🙂 Top with Parmesan cheese and a little shake of hot sauce

Another experiment and idea of mine came out so awesome this week…Who needs take-out Chinese food when you can just make this! Its a much healthier versions….Next time I think I might add 1 tbsp lite soy sauce and more zest…but otherwise this was delicious. I made Brown rice and then drizzled with dark sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds on top….:)

1-2 lb boneless skinless dark thighs, seasoned and browned in onion and garlic and placed in the crock pot

1 orange juiced and zested

1 jar of marmalade preserves

1 tbsp ginger

2 tbsp honey/agave nectar

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

1 cup shredded carrots

1/4 cup lite soy sauce

1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Placed all the other ingredients on top of the browned chicken and covered and cooked on low for 6-8 hours.

Top with sliced scallions or bean sprouts.. And of course additional toasted sesame seeds

This turned out to be SO delicious…And then I used the leftover pumpkin puree to make Pumpkin Spiced Croissants…The kids inhaled them! I just used a four pack of reduced fat Croissants and opened them up and spread the pumpkin puree on each, a tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp pumpkin spice, and 1 tbsp cinnamon,..Rolled them up and placed on baking sheet. Sprayed with cooking spray and sprinkled with tsp brown sugar and cinnamon..Baked at 375 for 15 minutes 🙂

Here I go again..I’m having fun this week trying out new recipes! 🙂 Hoping this one turns out great! I just used some veggies I had on hand (garlic,carrots, celery, onions and fingerling potatoes) Layered on the bottom of the slow cooker and then added 1/2 fat free chicken broth. Placed a whole chicken on top and stuffed 1/2 a lemon and 5 cloves of garlic inside. Gave it a good rub down with olive oil, sea salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Placed slow cooker on LOW…Results to follow 6-8 hours later!